System and method for processing fiber

ABSTRACT

A system for processing fibers includes a dryer configured to remove moisture from at least a portion of the fibers, and a cleaner configured to remove at least one of dirt, sticks, and seeds from the portion of the fibers. The system further includes a conduit for transferring the portion of the fibers between the dryer and the cleaner, and a treatment system configured to apply chemical to the portion of the fibers. The system for processing fibers is configured to alter at least one of a color characteristic, moisture content, and a texture characteristic of the portion of the fibers via application of chemical to the portion of the fibers.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/771,024, filed on Feb. 8, 2006,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to certain aspects of the design andoperation of textile operations. More specifically, the presentdisclosure relates to systems and methods for processing fiber.

BACKGROUND

Textile operations include systems and methods for processing fibers tomake them more desirable for the end use of the fibers. For example,textile operations include systems and methods for changing the natureof the fibers, for example, changing the color, the moisture content,and/or the texture of the fibers. In particular, natural fibers, such aswool, silk, and cotton may not occur naturally in a form desirable forthe intended end use. Therefore, it may be desirable to process thefibers such that they are more suitable for the intended end use.

An example of a textile operation in which fibers are processed to makethem more suitable for their intended end use occurs in a cottonprocessing system called a “cotton gin.” In some cotton processingsystems, for example, harvested or “raw” cotton, sometimes in the formof bales, is processed to remove “trash,” such as dirt, seeds, seedhulls, plant material, and other objects from the raw cotton fibersprior to processing the cotton fibers into cotton thread and/or fabric.A by-product of such processing is cotton lint, or “mote” cotton, whichmay become separated from the bulk of the cotton fibers during thecotton ginning process. Typically, such cotton lint or mote cotton maytend to be considered of inferior grade or quality relative to the bulkof the cotton that has been processed, since it may still haveundesirable qualities. For example, the lint may still contain trash,and/or the lint may have an undesirable color, moisture content, and/ortexture. Since the cotton lint may be considered of inferior grade orquality, it may be sold only at a price substantially below the marketprice of the remainder of the processed cotton or it may be discardedentirely. Since a relatively large amount of cotton lint or mote mayaccumulate during the cotton processing, the value of the cotton lint ormote may represent a potential windfall for the cotton processor if thesuitability of the cotton lint or mote for its intended end use can beimproved.

Thus, it may be desirable to provide systems and methods for processingfibers in order to render the fibers more suitable for their intendedend use. For example, it may be desirable to provide systems and methodsfor processing fibers to alter at least one of a color characteristic,moisture content, and a texture characteristic of the fibers. Further,it may be desirable to provide systems and methods for processing fibersto alter at least one of color characteristic, moisture content, andtexture characteristic of cotton fibers, for example, mote cottonfibers.

The present disclosure may address one or more of these desires.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Some possible advantages and purposes of the disclosed embodiments willbe set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part willbe obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of thedisclosed embodiments. Advantages and purposes of the disclosure may berealized and attained by means of the elements and combinationsparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

According to one aspect, the disclosure includes a system for processingfibers. The system includes a dryer configured to remove moisture fromat least a portion of the fibers, and a cleaner configured to remove atleast one of dirt, sticks, and seeds from the portion of the fibers. Thesystem further includes a conduit for transferring the portion of thefibers between the dryer and the cleaner, and a treatment systemconfigured to apply chemical to the portion of the fibers. The systemfor processing fibers is configured to alter at least one of a colorcharacteristic, moisture content, and a texture characteristic of theportion of the fibers via application of chemical to the portion of thefibers.

According to another aspect, a treatment system for applying chemical tofibers includes a chemical source configured to supply chemical, and anapplicator configured to apply chemical to fibers. The treatment systemfurther includes a line configured to provide flow communication betweenthe chemical source and the applicator, and a supply of chemicalconfigured to alter at least one of a color characteristic, moisturecontent, and a texture characteristic of the fibers.

According to yet another aspect, a method for processing fibers to alterat least one of a color characteristic, moisture content, and a texturecharacteristic of the fibers includes removing an amount of moisturefrom at least a portion of the fibers. The method further includesremoving at least one of dirt, sticks, and seeds from the portion of thefibers, and applying chemical to the portion of the fibers, whereinapplying chemical to the portion of the fibers comprises applying atleast one of bleach and dye to the portion of the fibers.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain someprinciple of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of afiber processing system; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of afiber processing system.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an exemplary embodiment of a fiberprocessing system 10 configured, for example, to process fibers inassociation with a textile operation. Fiber processing system 10 isconfigured to process fibers, such as, for example, cotton fibers in acotton ginning operation and/or a moting operation. According to someembodiments, fiber processing system 10 may be configured to convertfibers received in a form generally considered unsuitable for theirintended end use to fibers more suitable for their intended use, forexample, for use in textile operations. For example, fiber processingsystem 10 may be configured to receive harvested cotton in bale form,including trash, such as sticks, seeds, seed hulls, dirt, etc., andremove at least a portion of the trash for use in further textileoperations, such as thread and/or fabric manufacturing.

According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may include afiber unloading area 12, one or more dryers 14, one or more fibercleaners 16, one or more cleaners 18 (e.g., ginsaw cleaners), one ormore lint cleaners 20, a battery condenser 22, and/or a bale press 24.Fiber processing system 10 may further include a fiber conveyance system26, including a series of conduits 28 for conveying the fiber to one ormore of the portions of fiber processing system 10. Fiber conveyancesystem 26 may include a propulsion unit 30 and a temperature controlunit 32. Upon exit of fiber processing system 10, the fibers may be in amore suitable form for further textile operations, such as, for example,the production of thread and/or fabric formed at least partially fromthe fibers.

Exemplary fiber processing system schematically depicted in FIG. 1includes components generally consistent with a cotton gin forprocessing cotton fibers. One or more of the components shown in FIG. 1may not necessarily be included in fiber processing system 10, and fiberprocessing system 10 may be configured to process fibers other thancotton fibers. For example, FIG. 2 schematically depicts an exemplaryfiber processing system 10 that does not include a cleaner 18 (e.g., aginsaw cleaner), and fiber processing system 10 shown in FIG. 2 may beused to process fibers other than cotton fibers, such as, for example,silk fibers, wool fibers, and/or any other types of fibers whosecharacteristics might be improved by cleaning and/or treatment.

According to some embodiments, fiber unloading area 12 may be, forexample, a device configured to break apart large bales of harvestedfibers, such as cotton. For example, fiber unloading area 12 may be amodule feeder or any other device for converting fibers into a form forcleaning. A module feeder may be, for example, configured to rip apartbales of harvested cotton into smaller portions and/or separate largedebris such as sticks from the cotton.

Following processing in unloading area 12, the fibers may be conveyed todryer 14 via conduit 28 and propulsion unit 30. For example, propulsionunit 30 may be a blower (i.e., a fan) or series of blowers arrangedthroughout fiber processing system 10, which are configured to blow thebroken apart fibers through conduits 28. Conveyance system 26 may alsoinclude temperature control unit 32, such as, for example, a heater.According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may be aclosed-loop system, such as, for example, the closed-loop systemdisclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,213, the disclosureof which is incorporated herein by reference.

According to some embodiments, dryer 14 may be, for example, a hot shelftower dryer or any other fiber dryer known to those having ordinaryskill in the art. Dryer 14 is configured to adjust the moisture contentof the fibers, for example, to facilitate cleaning and/or coloring ofthe fibers. For example, one or more temperature control units 32 may beprovided to reduce or eliminate moisture in the fibers. Temperaturecontrol unit 32 may be, for example, a heater (e.g., a burner), andpropulsion unit 30 may serve to convey hot air generated by a burner todryer 14.

After adjusting the moisture content of the fiber via dryer 14, at leasta portion of the fibers may be propelled via a conduit 28 to fibercleaner 16. Fiber cleaner 16 is configured to remove trash, such as, forexample, sticks, seeds/seed pods, and/or other debris, from the fibers.Trash may be removed from fiber cleaner 16 via, for example, anextractor 34, for disposal. Fiber cleaner 16 may be any type of cleanerknown to those having ordinary skill in the art, such as, for example,the fiber cleaner disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No.6,038,741, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Fibers exiting fiber cleaner 16 may be conveyed to cleaner 18 (e.g., aginsaw cleaner) via conduit 28. Cleaner 18 may be configured to removeadditional trash, such as sticks and/or debris from the fibers.

According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may includeone or more lint cleaners 20. Lint cleaner(s) 20 are configured toremove small trash and/or debris (e.g., trash smaller in size relativeto the size of trash removed by fiber cleaner 16) from the fibers.Fibers may be conveyed to lint cleaner(s) 20 via a conduit 28 andpropulsion unit 30. For example, propulsion unit 30 may include a numberof blowers provided at different locations of fiber processing system 10to convey the fibers from one location to another.

Fiber processing system 10 may further include a battery condenser 22,and fibers may be conveyed from lint cleaner(s) 20 to battery condenser22 via a conduit 28. Battery condenser 22 is configured to remove airfrom the fibers (e.g., cotton fibers), so that the fibers may be formedinto a batt (e.g., a cotton batt), which may be conveyed down a lintslide 36 into bale press 24. Bale press 24 is configured to form thefiber batts into bales.

According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may include achemical treatment system 38. Chemical treatment system 38 may beconfigured to alter characteristics of the fibers in association withfiber processing system 10. For example, chemical treatment system 38may be configured to alter the color, moisture content, and/or thetexture of the fibers. For example, chemical treatment system 38 mayenhance the whiteness and/or brightness of the fibers, and/or improvethe softness of the fibers (e.g., cotton fibers and/or mote cotton) torender them more desirable.

According to some embodiments, chemical treatment system 38 may includeone or more chemical sources 40, one or more controllers 41 configuredto control operation of chemical treatment system 38, one or moreconveyance lines 42, and one or more applicators 44 for applying one ormore chemicals to the fibers as they are conveyed through fiberprocessing system 10. The applicators 44 may be in flow communicationwith one or more of the chemical sources 40 via conveyance lines 42, andcontroller(s) 41 may be configured to control distribution and/or theamount of chemical flow to one or more of applicators 44. According tosome embodiments, controller(s) 41 may be configured to be operatedmanually and/or automatically, for example, via electronic control(e.g., digital and/or analog electronic control).

Chemical sources 40 may include containers located in the vicinity offiber processing system 10 (e.g., barrels and/or drums of chemical).According to some embodiments, chemical sources 40 may includecontainers the of chemical and/or lines that serve to supply chemicalsfrom a source located remotely from fiber processing system 10, such as,for example, container's located outside a facility in which fiberprocessing system 10 is located (e.g., containers located adjacent thefacility and/or containers associated with a railway).

According to some embodiments, chemical treatment system 38 may includeany chemical, including, for example, one or more chemicals configuredto alter the color characteristic and/or the texture characteristic ofthe fibers. For example, the chemical may be configured to whiten and/orbrighten the color characteristic, and/or to change the hue and/or theshade of the fibers. The chemical may include one or more of bleaches,dyes, water, and oils, for example, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Accordingto some embodiments, chemical treatment system 38 may result in, forexample, removal of a majority (e.g., almost all) of the seeds and/ordark specs from the fibers, such as, for example, mote cotton fibers.The chemical may be in one or more of solid, liquid, and gaseous form.

According to some embodiments in which the chemical includes, forexample, H₂O₂, exemplary systems and methods for processing fibers mayprovide a substantially environmentally friendly alternative to otherprocessing systems and methods. In particular, since H₂O₂, for example,includes only hydrogen and oxygen, by-products of its use may be limitedto hydrogen and oxygen, which do not provide undesirable emissionssometimes associated with some other chemicals, such as, for example,chemicals containing carbon, chlorine, and/or fluorine.

According to some embodiments, the chemical may be applied in differingconcentrations. For example, H₂O₂ may applied in dilutions ranging fromabout 1.0% to about 90%, for example, about 1.6%, about 6%, about 35%,about 50%, or about 75%. According to some embodiments, the chemical maybe diluted with, for example, water. Such dilution may occur prior toapplication of the chemical to the fibers and/or during application ofthe chemical to the fibers. For example, chemical having a particularconcentration may be diluted prior to entering the system 10.Alternatively, or in addition, dilution may occur by applying thechemical with one or more applicators and applying, for example, waterwith one or more additional applicators, to achieve a desired effectivedilution of the chemical applied to the fibers.

According to some embodiments, the amount and/or dilution of thechemical applied to the fibers may be a function of the fibers beingprocessed. For example, it may be desirable to apply more or lesschemical to some fibers and/or differing concentrations of chemical tosome fibers, depending on the amount of trash in the fibers and/or thetype of fibers.

Some fibers (e.g., cotton fibers) may be able to accept or absorb only alimited amount of chemical during each application of chemical.According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may beconfigured for application of chemical at more than one time and/orlocation during a textile processing operation. For example, fibers maybe dried at various locations before, during, and/or after undergoingprocessing via fiber processing system 10 to reduce the moisture contentof the fibers, which may condition the fibers to receive more chemical(i.e., as moisture is removed from the fibers (e.g., cotton fibers),more chemical may be applied to the fibers). According to someembodiments, the fibers may be exposed to the chemical (e.g., H₂O₂) in avat of the chemical as an alternative (or in addition to) applying thechemical via other techniques and/or at other locations.

According to some embodiments, chemical may be applied at differentlocations of fiber processing system 10. According to some embodiments,chemical may be applied at different location of a cotton gin processand/or a moting process (i.e., a post-ginning process). For example,“mote” is cotton, such as, for example, lint cotton, etc., that may begenerated during a cotton ginning process that is generally discarded.During a cotton ginning process, for example, lint cotton and generallyless desirable cotton is produced as a by-product of the cotton ginningprocess. Mote cotton may contain, for example, trash and seeds/seedhulls, which may render the mote cotton generally less desirable byvirtue of its low grade (i.e., the lowest grade cotton). Under normalcircumstances, mote cotton might have a yield of about 50% and sell forabout $0.05/lb. According to some embodiments, chemical treatment system38 may result in enhancing mote cotton, such that it may sell, forexample, for about $0.57/lb.

According to some embodiments, chemical treatment system 38 may beconfigured to apply chemical to the fibers at one or more of manydifferent locations of fiber processing system 10. For example, chemicaltreatment system 38 may be configured to apply chemical at only onelocation of fiber processing system 10 (e.g., at a location immediatelyprior to battery condenser 22). According to some embodiments, chemicaltreatment system 38 is configured to apply chemical to the fibers atmore than one location of fiber processing system 10. For example,chemical treatment system 38 may include applicators 44 located at oneor more of the following locations: between unloading area 12 and dryer14, at dryer 14 (e.g., at one or more locations within dryer 14),between dryer 14 and cleaner 16, between cleaner 16 and saw cleaner 18,between saw cleaner 18 and lint cleaner 20, between two lint cleaners20, between lint cleaner 20 and battery condenser 22, and betweenbattery condenser 22 and bale press 24. According to some embodiments,applicator(s) 44 may be located before unloading area 12 and/or afterbale press 24.

Applicator(s) 44 may be of any type configured to supply chemical to thefibers. For example, applicator(s) 44 may be in the form of any one ofthe following devices: one or more sprayers, brushes, nozzles, wipers,dispensers, and vats of chemical. For example, one or more applicators44 may be configured to apply the chemical via, for example, an atomizedspray.

Traditionally, during textile processing, fibers are transported fromone operation to another by various devices/methods, which includeconveyors, belts, gravity, and air propulsion. Chemical treatment system38 may be configured to apply various chemical and/or liquids to thefibers. According to some embodiments, chemical may be applied, forexample, by applicators 44, such as spraying units, which directchemical into the air that carries the fibers. According to someembodiments, the applicator(s) 44 may be configured to calibrate theamount of chemical being applied to the fibers. The amount of chemicaland/or the type of chemical applied, where the chemical is applied, andthe method of application may depend, for example, on the variousdegrees of grade and/or character of the fibers, including color, whichmay be desired by the end user.

According to some embodiments, the amount of chemical applied duringprocessing of the fibers could reach, for example, up to about 10percent or more of the weight of the fibers, and it may be desirable toprocess the fibers such that they have a moisture content low enough toaccept the chemical and/or keep the fibers (e.g., baled fibers) in amoisture content range acceptable to the end user.

According to some embodiments, the moisture content of the fibers may becontrolled. For example, the fibers my be dried via, for example, dryers14 and/or any drying systems known to those having ordinary skill in theart, such as a closed-loop system at least similar to those describedpreviously herein. Other drying systems could be used to obtain the sameor similar results.

According to some embodiments, chemical may be applied before dryingand/or after drying, and/or before the cleaners and/or after thecleaners. For example, fiber processing system 10 may include more thanone set of the exemplary components described previously herein. Thenumber of sets of components used may depend on, for example, thedesired characteristic(s) of the fibers. For example, each set ofcomponents (e.g., dryer 14 and cleaner(s)) may be configured to reducethe moisture content of the fibers by an amount roughly corresponding toan amount of moisture content that will be added by virtue of theapplication of chemical, as desired for safe storage of the fiber.According to some embodiments of fiber processing system 10, it may notbe necessary to use cleaner(s). Rather, it may be possible to use one ormore dryers 14 without any cleaners.

According to some embodiments, chemical may be applied to the fibers atlint slide 36 (i.e., after battery condenser 22 and prior to bale press24). For example, applicator(s) 44 may include one or more sprayersconfigured to direct a spray across the fibers prior to bale press 24.According to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may includeone or more dryers 14 located prior to bale press 24 to reduce themoisture content of the fibers prior to bale press 24, for example, toreduce to the moisture content of the fibers prior to applying chemicalbetween battery condenser 22 and bale press 24.

According to some embodiments of fiber processing system 10, chemicalapplied to the fibers may result in bleaching, whitening, and/orenhancing the color of the fibers (e.g., cotton fibers) during textileoperations, such as, for example, during a fiber processing operation(e.g., during a cotton ginning and/or moting process). For example,according to some embodiments, fiber processing system 10 may beconfigured to reduce a pre-application moisture content of the fibersdown to a level such that the fibers (e.g., cotton) are capable ofaccepting chemical and/or other fluids desired to be applied to thefibers, which, in turn, may return the fibers back to theirpre-application moisture content. According to some embodiments, such aprocess may be repeated a number of times, for example, until the fibershave obtained a desired color characteristic and/or texturecharacteristic.

For example, the moisture content of fibers entering fiber processingsystem 10 may be about 8% (e.g., 8% by weight). It may be estimated thatin order to obtain a desired color and/or texture characteristic of thefibers, about 25 lbs. of chemical (e.g., about 0.05% of chemical) shouldbe applied to the fibers. In order approximately maintain the 8%moisture content of the fibers upon the addition of 25 lbs. of chemical,it may be desirable to lower the moisture content of the fibers to about3% prior to application of the chemical. Upon application of 25 lbs. ofchemical, the moisture content of the fibers may return to approximately8%. If further application of chemical is desired, for example, in orderto further manipulate the color and/or texture characteristics (basedon, for example, color and/or foreign matter content), the moisturecontent of the fibers may be altered, for example, to reduce themoisture content of the fibers to a desired level, which permits fibersto accept a desired amount of additional chemical application (e.g.,including application of chemical, water, and/or oils) whilesubstantially achieving a desired moisture content of the fibersfollowing application of the chemical.

According to some embodiments, fibers processed by the exemplary systemsand methods may become whiter, brighter, and/or softer to the touchafter processing. For example, cotton fibers processed by the exemplarysystems and methods may become whiter, brighter, and/or softer to thetouch than unprocessed cotton fibers or cotton fibers processed usingconventional methods. For example, cotton fibers processed according tothe exemplary systems and methods may exhibit softer “hand” (or feel tothe touch) than cotton fibers that have been subjected to conventionalvat bleaching techniques.

Some embodiments of fiber processing system 10 may not necessarilyinclude each of the components described previously herein. Further,some embodiments of fiber processing system 10 may include componentsnot described herein. According to some embodiments, fiber processingsystem 10 and associated methods may be used in association with anytextile operation relating to any types of fibers. In particular, someembodiments of fiber processing system 10 are not necessarily limited touse in relation to cotton ginning and/or mote cotton operations.According to some embodiments, the systems and methods may be used toprocess natural fibers (e.g., cotton, wool, and/or silk), combinationsof different types of natural fibers (e.g., at least one of cotton,wool, and silk fibers), synthetic fibers, and combinations of naturaland synthetic fibers.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the system of the presentinvention and in construction of this system without departing from thescope or spirit of the invention, as other embodiments of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and practice of the invention disclosed herein.

1. A system for processing fibers, the system comprising: a dryerconfigured to remove moisture from at least a portion of the fibers; acleaner configured to remove at least one of dirt, sticks, and seedsfrom the portion of the fibers; a conduit for transferring the portionof the fibers between the dryer and the cleaner; and a treatment systemconfigured to apply chemical to the portion of the fibers, wherein thesystem for processing fibers is configured to alter at least one of acolor characteristic, moisture content, and a texture characteristic ofthe portion of the fibers via application of chemical to the portion ofthe fibers.
 2. The system for processing fibers of claim 1, wherein thetreatment system comprises: a chemical source; an applicator; and atleast one line configured to provide flow communication between thechemical source and the applicator.
 3. The system for processing fibersof claim 2, wherein the applicator is associated with one of the dryer,the cleaner, and the conduit.
 4. The system for processing fibers ofclaim 2, wherein the treatment system comprises a plurality ofapplicators.
 5. The system for processing fibers of claim 1, wherein thedryer is configured to remove an amount of moisture from the portion ofthe fibers, and the treatment system is configured to apply an amount ofchemical to the portion of the fibers to at least partially offset theamount of moisture removed from the portion of the fibers.
 6. The systemfor processing fibers of claim 1, wherein the chemical is at least oneof bleach and dye.
 7. The system for processing fibers of claim 1,wherein the chemical comprises hydrogen peroxide.
 8. The system forprocessing fibers of claim 1, wherein the system for processing fiberscomprises a cotton gin.
 9. Fibers processed using the system of claim 1.10. The fibers of claim 9, wherein the fibers comprise cotton.
 11. Thefibers of claim 9, wherein the fibers comprise mote cotton.
 12. Atreatment system for applying chemical to fibers, the treatment systemcomprising: a chemical source configured to supply chemical; anapplicator configured to apply chemical to fibers; a line configured toprovide flow communication between the chemical source and theapplicator; and a supply of chemical configured to alter at least one ofa color characteristic, moisture content, and a texture characteristicof the fibers.
 13. The treatment system of claim 12, wherein thechemical comprises at least one of bleach and dye.
 14. The treatmentsystem of claim 12, wherein the chemical comprises hydrogen peroxide.15. The treatment system of claim 12, further comprising a controllerconfigured to control the amount of chemical applied to the fibers. 16.A method for processing fibers to alter at least one of a colorcharacteristic, moisture content, and a texture characteristic of thefibers, the method comprising: removing an amount of moisture from atleast a portion of the fibers; removing at least one of dirt, sticks,and seeds from the portion of the fibers; and applying chemical to theportion of the fibers, wherein applying chemical to the portion of thefibers comprises applying at least one of bleach and dye to the portionof the fibers.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the chemicalcomprises hydrogen peroxide.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein thefibers comprise cotton.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the fiberscomprise mote cotton.
 20. Cotton processed by the method of claim 16.